Lost Writing Class #6: The Importance of Names

Scrooge. Scarlett. Huck. Romeo and Juliet. Think of the characters whose names become history beyond the book, movie, show.

There’s something about names. Whether we like ours or detest the nickname we’ve been saddled with, they mean a lot. They become part of our identity.

So, too, it should be with our characters. You’re going to write differently about Ernie than you would about Tyler. Jennifer is different than Margaret. Names bring about their own definitions of who that person is. Yes, they’re based on stereotypes. But good or bad, those meanings are there.

When choosing a name for your character, look at it from different angles. What does it mean? Is there anyone famous associated with it? What kind of an image does it present? Is there an ethnicity associated with it?

On my current story about two sisters, I chose their names for very specific reasons. Ivy and Willow. Upon research, I discovered that both of these plants are adaptable and can grow in the harshest environments. So too my sisters. Ivy is also a plant associated with connections, intertwining with those around it. My character Ivy is the same way. Also, their names could be associated with nature, which their hippy mother would have loved. It's interesting to see that Ivy chooses names for her sons that are more traditional and very masculine: David and Matthew. She's trying to get away from her mother's influence not only in her personality, but in her family too.

Sometimes, you’ll name your character one thing and discover the name doesn’t fit. I once had named a character Jake when he was really a Mack. Jake didn’t fit what I wanted for the character, but Mack definitely did. I even kept typing Mack instead of Jake until I finally conceded that was the character’s name. I was just the writer. What did I know anyway?

Besides the names of your characters, look at what they call themselves. If their name is Roy but everyone (including himself) thinks of him as Buddy, find the reason behind it.

Let’s look at some of the names of LOST.

Kate (not Katherine, you’ll notice) is a good, strong name. One syllable. It also means “pure” which we know our Kate is not. How would it be different if Kate went by Katherine instead? We expect Kate to be more of a tomboy while Katherine is more feminine.

Ben is another strong name with one syllable. If you know your Bible stories, you’ll remember that Benjamin was the youngest and favorite son of Jacob. I don’t think the writers picked this name out of the air or because it sounded good.

Sawyer is another interesting name. Brings up images of a young prankster who has good intentions. Look also at how he appropriated the name for himself after the man who killed his parents. He’s become this man, in a sense, and so takes his name. Juliet is one of the few who calls him James. Not Jim or Jimmy, but James. It’s more formal than the nicknames and lends an air of respectability.

Sun and Jin Kwon reflect their nationality. As does Danielle Rousseau, Sayid Jarrah, and Hugo Reyes.

Walt seems like a grandfatherly type name for such a young boy. He’s named after his grandfather Walter, and the nickname suits him better.

And I’d still like to know the story behind Hurley’s name.

Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but not when it comes to your stories. Let your character be their name, so choose it wisely.

Looking ahead to next week, we’re going to explore backstory. How did your character become the person they are in your story?